


a castle frozen in time

by stilljunhui (acyria)



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Beauty and the Beast Elements, Curses, Fairy Tale Elements, M/M, Mild Blood, Minor Violence, No Smut, Romance, Slow Build, Witch Curses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-10
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-04-23 22:58:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19160716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acyria/pseuds/stilljunhui
Summary: “Felix, did I hear right? The gate opened for him?” The newcomer asked, leaning in closer to Hyunjin, which made the latter take an involuntary step back before stopping himself from going any further since he didn’t want to look like he was running away or anything. He stood his ground and gave a shy smile. “What did you say your name was?”“Stop staring, Minho, you’re scaring him,” Felix chided, pushing the other boy back gently. “His name is Hwang Hyunjin and you’re still staring, at least blink a little, stop it.”Minho shrugged, “I can’t help it, Lix. It’s beensolong.”(Beauty and the Beast AU)





	a castle frozen in time

**Author's Note:**

> Rated M for cursing and mild violence / blood, but nothing graphic.
> 
> I'm a sucker for fairy-tale twists, an even bigger sucker for Hyunin, and the biggest sucker of them all for both of these things combined! I was hit with the urge to write Something Long™ for Hyunin and this idea just popped out, although many elements were inspired by fics I've read with similar Beauty and the Beast plots and of course, the movie itself! I don't stray (heh, get it) too far from the original plot, but it's definitely not 100% the same.
> 
> Lyrics used at the start of each portion from _Stray Kids - Grr (Law of Total Madness)_
> 
> Edited on December 10, 2019

_How much more do I have to be lost?_

_How much, how much?_

_A million kilometers._

 

Once upon a time, in a far-off village, there lived a boy named Hwang Hyunjin. As a child, he was left at the town orphanage shortly after his birth, as his parents could not care for him. There, he grew up with countless other kids, some his age, but most were older or younger. It wasn’t the most comfortable living situation since it felt like each day, more kids were brought to the orphanage, but Hyunjin found that he didn’t quite mind since he enjoyed having more company.

When the brunette was seven years old, he was finally tall enough to look out the window in his room on his own, without being carried by any of the older boys or by the caretakers. That brought Hyunjin much happiness since there was a particular sight he loved to see; shining brightly even in the distance was a castle, one that was often a popular topic in the orphanage. Hyunjin has heard many stories revolving around the castle, but they all went around the same way.

Each one spoke of the castle and the curse that was placed upon it.

Every version he’s heard contained the same main characters—a royal family, consisting of the king and his son, the crown prince. Hyunjin has gotten nearly everybody in the orphanage who was old enough to know something about the castle to tell him their version of the castle’s curse, listening each time with rapt attention. There were a few changes here and there each time he heard something new, but as he grew older, Hyunjin ended up with a favourite version of his own.

“Hyunjin,” one of the younger orphans went up to him one day, carrying her favourite doll and worn-out blanket with her. Immediately, Hyunjin knew what the young girl was going to say. “Can you tell me a bedtime story before I sleep?”

“Sure, Seomin,” Hyunjin replied, smiling warmly as he walked with the small girl to her room. 

With his 19th birthday drawing closer, he’s been trying his best to help around the orphanage as much as he can. It was going to be his last few days staying since village rules stated that he could only be under their care until he reached the legal age. It was a bittersweet feeling, having to leave the orphanage that he grew to love despite the living conditions, but more than that Hyunjin also felt a little scared. Where would he go?

He pushed away thoughts of his future to the back of his mind as he carried Seomin up to her bed, making sure to tuck her in, before settling on the floor by her bed.

“What story do you want to hear tonight?”

“The one about the castle,” Seomin said softly. Despite the sleepiness in her voice, it was clear that she was still excited to hear the same story she’s heard countless times. “Your version, please.”

Hyunjin chuckled, “alright. You know how all stories go, right? Once upon a time…”

His version, Hyunjin recalled to himself, was first told to him by an older orphan named Chan. The latter had been known around the orphanage as everybody’s big brother since he immediately took all the younger kids under his wing. Hyunjin stuck close to him and much like Seomin, asked for the same story almost every night without fail, up until the day where Chan grew older and had to leave the orphanage. He memorized it by heart.

The story always started the same way, with the crown prince falling ill from a terrible sickness and the king searching through the entire land for a cure. In his search, the king ended up finding the best herbalist in the kingdom, who offered her help but for a high price. She would heal the prince, but the king would have to marry her and make her the queen of the village.

“The king had no intention to make a common villager as queen, but he had lied and agreed, and soon returned to the castle with the woman. Much to his delight, the healer was able to miraculously make his son better,” Hyunjin said, voice slowly growing softer as he noticed how the younger girl’s eyes were beginning to gently close. Just when he thought Seomin had finally fallen asleep, the girl blinked her eyes open and nudged him.

“Continue,” she said, stifling a yawn. “I want to hear it end.”

“Fine, but sleep right after, alright?”

Once the crown prince was healed, the king then had the young woman banished from the castle by force through the palace guards. It was then that her true form was revealed to be a witch. She placed a curse on the royal family and even on everybody else inside the castle due to the king’s betrayal. Immediately, the king passed away due to the curse, so the curse fell heavily on the innocent prince. Frozen in time, everybody who stayed inside the castle was to remain the same way until the curse was broken.

Nobody really knew how to break the curse, with the story usually ending there, but for Seomin’s sake, Hyunjin always added his own little twist to the story. Inspired by other tales he’s heard growing up, he added that one day, someone managed to enter the castle gates, fated to be the one who broke the curse. It was cliche, but Seomin always squealed happily at the thought that someone was able to help the prince.

“The prince fell in love and the curse was broken by true love’s kiss,” Hyunjin said, borrowing an ending from a different story. “Now, go to sleep.”

“Hyunjin?” Seomin called out sleepily. “You’re growing up soon, right?”

Growing up must have meant leaving the orphanage, Hyunjin mused, as he nodded and said yes.

“When you leave, will you go to the castle?”

The brunette chuckled, “it’ll be the first place I go to, don’t worry.”

“I hope the prince is still happy,” were the last words spoken by Seomin before she drifted into sleep. Some parts of Hyunjin wished his version was accurate and that the castle in the distance truly was free from the curse, with the characters of the story finding their happily ever after. That was if the story was even real to begin with, since he was beginning to suspect it was just something made up to give the kids at the orphanage something to talk about.

When he left the younger girl’s room, Hyunjin ran into an orphan his age, Han Jisung.

“You giving her one last story to remember you by?” The blonde asked, grinning a little and revealing his front teeth, the ones that made people affectionately call him a squirrel. It was no secret from the older boys and girls in the orphanage that Hyunjin was the next one to leave, with some of them even offering to pitch in and throw him a little party, but Hyunjin had declined. They could save that for when Jisung would leave since the latter seemed more than excited about it.

“You know how Seomin insists,” he replied, smiling wistfully since he would have to say goodbye to her soon. Hyunjin was struck again with how he still had no idea what to do. 

“Hey, Jisung,” the brunette started before the other boy could say anything. “Do you already know what you’re going to do when you leave this place?”

Jisung’s grin widened, the answer coming out of his mouth in rapid-fire speed, “of course! I got a letter from Chan the other day. He offered me to stay with him and Woojin—yeah, they found each other somehow, weird shit right?—well, until I find a place of my own. I said yes in a heartbeat. Do you want to stay there, too? They said their place is open to everybody. It would be just like staying here again! Just without the caretakers, but we’ll manage.”

The idea of living with the other boys he already knew did sound comforting, but Hyunjin couldn’t bring himself to agree just yet.

“I’ll let you know,” he said instead, earning a nod from Jisung and a reminder not to forget.

Hyunjin settled into his room soon after, one that he shared with a few of the younger boys. Truth be told, he didn’t know of a life outside the orphanage. Sure, he’s been outside a few times, usually when it came to buying food from the market or new clothes for everyone to share, but that was it. The idea of being by himself, all alone, didn’t sit well with him when he’s grown up surrounded by so many people.

His bed was located right next to the window, the same one he’s looked out of during all his years at the orphanage, where he could see the castle.

Sometimes, the brunette thought about how his life would have been if his parents hadn’t left him at the orphanage. Would he have been happier? Would he have siblings, much like the others at the orphanage had grown to be for him? Most of all, would he have learned anything about the castle and the multiple stories that surrounded it? That was one of his favourite things about being an orphan, he figured. 

In less than a week, Hyunjin found himself staring out the same window one last time.

“Do you have all your stuff?” The head caretaker, Jinyoung, asked him as the older boy glanced at Hyunjin’s belongings. All he had was a small backpack that also contained Seomin’s favourite doll; the younger girl had insisted that she wanted to give _something_ to Hyunjin, saying goodbye to him with tears in her eyes, so who was he to decline? Hyunjin gave the other boy a quick thumbs up and a nod. 

“If you ever need anything, you know the orphanage will still try our best to help you,” Jinyoung said, giving Hyunjin a warm hug as he did so. “See you around, Hyunjin.”

The moment the brunette stepped outside of the orphanage, it was to the sound of birds chirping in the air mixed with the hustle and bustle of the village around him. At least the weather was good, nothing he needed to worry about especially since he was sure the only umbrella he brought with him had a few holes in it. His current game plan involved finding a place he could work at and stay, probably an inn somewhere if he was lucky. 

As his eyes scanned the area, Hyunjin found his sights falling on the castle, almost as if he was drawn to it.

_It’ll be the first place I go to, don’t worry._

Well, he did tell Seomin he was going to visit. Plus, it would have made his younger self ecstatic at the fact that he could finally visit the castle. From his room, all he could ever see were the highest towers. How much more of the castle was there for him to see? Suddenly, Hyunjin couldn’t wait as he began to walk towards the castle’s direction. It would be his first stop in his life of adulthood, but he would end up focusing on more important matters afterward, he told himself. 

 

_Don’t talk to me!_

_Whoever I see, I bark, I bite, I rip apart._

_Don’t talk to me!_

_I’m frustrated, so frustrated._

 

 

The castle was a lot bigger than Hyunjin thought it would be.

If he had to be honest, it was also rather unkempt. He wasn’t sure if there were still people living inside, but if there were, then nobody really tended to the gardens. From where he stood, just a few feet in front of the gate, he could see vines crawling out and bushes that looked rather overgrown. Still, the castle was a sight to behold up close even just from the gate, which was still a good distance away from the main door. It must have been beautiful back in the day.

He was about to turn around and get back to figuring his life out when Hyunjin could have sworn he saw a figure move within the castle window. Curious, he stepped closer to the gate by just a fraction, when all of a sudden the metal door swung open with a loud creaking sound. Surprised, he jumped back just in case he had accidentally touched it, but the brunette was pretty sure he kept his hands to himself the entire time. 

An involuntary shiver ran down his spine.

Something about the castle seemed to beckon him closer, filling him with thoughts of food and shelter, something Hyunjin realized he needed now that he was out of the orphanage. Every logical part of his being told him to get out of there since he could be charged for trespassing or something, but his feet remained in place. The gate had opened by itself, right? Maybe it was a silent invitation?

He must have told the story of the castle more times than he thought if he was beginning to think magic was actually real.

If he was scared of the castle though, then wouldn’t that mean he still did believe in the story after all?

Once more, Hyunjin found himself walking before he could think about the situation further. The calling he felt deep within him grew stronger with each step he took towards the castle. He almost didn’t notice the way the gate swung shut behind him if it wasn’t for the loud clang he heard as it did so, but the brunette figured there was no turning back now. He only wished the gate would open again later when he wanted to leave already.

When he got to the front doors, he raised his hand to knock, hesitating just a little bit.

Finally, he rapped on the door thrice.

Much like the gate earlier, the door opened, but this time Hyunjin was a little less scared. He had expected somebody to open it for him, but it looked like he was mistaken as he stepped inside. Immediately, he was struck by just how big everything was; from the floor to the ceiling above, the whole space made him feel a lot smaller by comparison. It looked like something straight out of a book, something he could only ever imagine seeing on paper.

A chandelier right in the center was the first thing Hyunjin’s eyes were drawn towards.

Next, it was the person who stood right at the foot of the large, spiraling staircase.

“I’m sorry for just entering,” the brunette immediately blurted out, since it seemed like the other person had been there the whole time, just staring at Hyunjin with something that looked like pure shock clear on his features. The other boy was blonde, sporting a face full of freckles, and he wore what looked like a soldier’s uniform. “The gate opened, and I’ve always loved to see the castle up close, but I should really leave now and—“

“The gate opened?” The blonde finally spoke, voice deeper than Hyunjin expected.

Hyunjin nodded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, “I didn’t know there were still people living here, I’m really sorry for intruding. Uhm, please don’t call the police? I’ll get going—”

“No!” The other boy said rather loudly, surprising them both. He continued looking a bit more sheepish as he stepped down the rest of the stairs and approached Hyunjin with a friendly-looking smile on his face, although his eyes still looked rather wary of the situation. “I mean, no, it’s alright. You don’t have to go. I’m Felix. What’s your name?”

“Hwang Hyunjin,” the brunette replied, shaking the hand that was offered to him. 

“Hwang Hyunjin,” Felix repeated, smile widening by a fraction. “May I ask what brought you to the castle, Hyunjin?”

The taller boy flushed, thinking back to the stories he’s heard and even those he’s told himself. Well, clearly things must have been going fine in the castle despite how it looked on the outside. At least, Felix looked rather cheerful and welcoming. The interior of the castle also looked rather spotless, not an inch of dust available for his eyes to see, anywhere. He wondered briefly if the crown prince from the story was an old man by then before remembering he was asked a question.

“I’ve just heard a lot of stories surrounding the castle,” Hyunjin replied truthfully. “I guess I just wanted to see it for myself.”

“Stories, huh?” Felix asked, lips pursed in thought.

Before the brunette could say anything, the sound of loud footsteps drew his attention back towards the staircase. Coming down, rather quickly at that, was another boy with honey-coloured hair. He had rather wide eyes and not just because he looked as surprised as Felix was just earlier, Hyunjin figured, as the other boy came to a stop next to the earlier blonde. He peered at Hyunjin with unabashed interest that made Hyunjin feel conscious again.

“Felix, did I hear right? The gate opened for him?” The newcomer asked, leaning in closer to Hyunjin, which made the latter take an involuntary step back before stopping himself from going any further since he didn’t want to look like he was running away or anything. He stood his ground and gave a shy smile. “What did you say your name was?”

“Stop staring, Minho, you’re scaring him,” Felix chided, pushing the other boy back gently. “His name is Hwang Hyunjin and you’re _still_ staring, at least blink a little, stop it.”

Minho shrugged, “I can’t help it, Lix. It’s been _so_ long.”

So long since what? Hyunjin wanted to ask, but something in the air felt tense right after the words left the other boy’s mouth, an awkward silence overcoming the three of them. The blonde in particular glanced quickly at Hyunjin before turning back to the boy beside him, a nervous sounding chuckle escaping his lips, one that meant Minho definitely wasn’t supposed to say that. Hyunjin wasn’t going to ask anything, then.

A beat later, Minho turned back to Hyunjin with a friendly smile in place, “regardless, we’re happy to have you here, Hyunjin! Have you had lunch? Would you like some food?”

At the mention of food, Hyunjin’s stomach let out an involuntarily growl.

“That sounds like a yes,” the other boy replied with a chuckle. 

Before the brunette could protest, Minho quickly disappeared down the hallway to their right, leaving him with Felix. The latter chuckled at the other boy’s eagerness, while Hyunjin was left wondering whether it was really alright for him to stay all of a sudden. He had a million thoughts running across his mind, but most of it was centered around figuring out what was happening. He wondered briefly if their odd nature had anything to do with the curse.

He thought of the version of the story he knew best, the one where the prince was still left in the cursed castle, without his fairy-tale happy ending.

As he followed after Felix, with the other boy beckoning him over, Hyunjin let his curiousity get the best of him.

“Have you guys heard about the stories surrounding the castle?” Hyunjin asked.

“It’s hard not to know,” the blonde replied simply as they reached what must have been the kitchen, judging by the way Minho was cooking something over at the corner. The kitchen alone was larger than Hyunjin’s room back at the orphanage, with a dining area right at the center of it all, although he was certain that the castle had an even larger dining room somewhere else. It was enough for him, though. He could have survived eating off just a cardboard box.

“Are the stories true?” The taller boy continued, before feeling rather sheepish. “I mean, I understand it’s all about magic, but I was just wondering. Actually, nevermind, I feel silly now.”

Felix stared at him with a thoughtful expression, as if he was considering the words that Hyunjin was saying, before finally taking a seat next to the boy.

“There’s always a sliver of truth in any story,” he began to say carefully as if still choosing which words to say. “Some more than the rest, I suppose. What story do you know, Hyunjin?”

As they waited for the food to finish cooking, Hyunjin easily slipped into a story-telling mode, although he tried to keep things a little more summarized. He spoke of the prince and his illness, which seemed to alight something like sadness in Felix’s eyes, but that disappeared quickly as Hyunjin continued. When he reached the part with the witch making herself known, there was definitely a hint of annoyance in Felix’s features that he couldn’t seem to hide.

Finally, he spoke of the curse.

“Frozen in time,” Hyunjin said, repeating the same words he’s told often, voice growing a bit softer as he realized that if things were true then that meant Felix and Minho were among those cursed. “They also said that nobody could enter the castle, since it has wards around it, but since I’m here I guess that’s not the only false thing in the stories? I mean, witches and all that aside, nobody really knows what’s real. Scary stuff though, yeah?”

“It’s more sad than scary, I’ll say,” Minho piped in, appearing next to them with a pot full of soup. He must have heard everything despite cooking. “All alone forever, doing nothing but cook and clean and care for the prince. It gets rather tiring, too.”

He spoke as if he knew exactly what he was talking about, which made Hyunjin wonder again about the legitimacy of the story.

Before he could ask, someone entered the kitchen, with the door swinging loudly.

Felix immediately rose to his feet, “Changbin, wait—“

“Who is he?” The dark-haired boy, Changbin, had his eyes trained on Hyunjin. He was practically glaring as he did so, which made the brunette remember that he did, in fact, trespass on private property after all. “Actually, don’t answer, it doesn’t matter. Why is he here, Felix? You know he’s not allowed to be here.”

“The gates opened,” the blonde argued. “It’s not like we _let_ him inside.”

“You know what that means,” Minho added as he stepped closer to Hyunjin, looking almost defensive as he did so.

Changbin merely scoffed.

“We’ve been through this shit before. Do you think the prince would be happy to have everything repeat itself all over again? Aren’t you guys tired of this?”

“We _are_ tired,” Felix said sternly, voice an octave deeper. “That’s why we want it to _end_ , Binnie. Relax, please?”

At the usage of his nickname, it seemed that Changbin did relax by a fraction, but the air around them was still tense. Hyunjin wasn’t sure what exactly was happening, but he could guess. They mentioned the prince, and judging by how everybody who lived in the castle had reacted to him so far, he could only come up with one explanation. It was a wild one, one he didn’t think would even be possible, but what else could it be?

“The stories aren’t just stories, huh?” He finally had the courage to ask, meeting the dark-haired boy’s gaze in particular.

“You think?” Changbin rolled his eyes, but he looked more tired than annoyed, now that Hyunjin was observing him better; almost as if he’s got the whole weight of the world on his shoulders. Actually, even Felix and Minho seemed to carry the same air around them, even if those two were significantly friendlier. “The gates may have opened for you, punk, but don’t think you’re special. The prince would want you to leave soon, so I suggest you eat your fill and get going.”

“Or he could stay,” Felix said quietly. 

“Lix—“

“If we don’t try, nothing will ever happen,” the blonde interrupted, voice adopting a pleading tone. “We all want the old Jeongin back. You know he doesn’t have much time.”

Silence filled the air as the three castle dwellers shared looks between them, while Hyunjin was still too caught up in what was happening to take a sip of his soup. He didn’t think it would be appropriate to be eating just then, too, despite the growing hunger in his stomach. Almost as if the three shared some sort of telepathic conversation, Changbin let out a loud, frustrated groan; a sign that he’s given up, it seemed.

“I’ll go tell Seungmin what’s happening,” he said, resigned. “Get this kid up to date and then we’ll talk, okay? We don’t even know if he would _want_ to stay.”

He left without another word, presumably to go look for Seungmin, whoever that was. Hyunjin was surprised to find that there were still plenty of people in the castle, even more so after realizing that the stories he’s heard all this time were true. Everybody there must have been frozen in time since the curse was placed. So where was the prince? He was supposed to have been cursed the most, but the stories never specified what happened to him.

“Sorry about that,” Felix said with a sigh. “I guess the secret’s out in the open now.”

After Minho urged Hyunjin to start eating, he joined the two at the table and helped Felix when it came to filling in the details and answering all of Hyunjin’s questions. They started by saying yes, the stories that were floating around the village were true. Most of what’s being shared, anyway. It turned out that Hyunjin’s version only lacked a little of what was actually the truth, primarily what happened to the crown prince, although nobody outside really knew for sure.

“It’s unfair,” the blonde said with a frown. “Jeongin did nothing wrong.”

“Must be tough,” Hyunjin agreed, staring down at his empty bowl of soup.

He didn’t ask about the specifics of the curse placed on the prince, at least not yet, since it seemed like Felix was having trouble talking about it in full detail. He could only imagine how hard it’s been for them all these years. It’s been so long that they weren’t even sure how much time has passed, Minho had added, even after Hyunjin had told them the current date. As a way of easing themselves out of the sad topic, the older boy began to ask about Hyunjin instead.

“Where are you from?” He asked after fetching the brunette another bowl of soup and some bread to go along with it. 

“The village just to the end of the castle forest,” Hyunjin replied. “It’s not that far-off, actually.”

Felix frowned a little, “if you were to stay, would that be alright with your family?”

“Ah, about that.” The other boy was quick to explain about he was an orphan, so they didn’t need to worry about his family or anything. He skipped the part where he was actually _looking_ for a place to stay since Hyunjin wasn’t sure whether he would stay at all, but after hearing all that’s happened so far he couldn’t bring himself to leave, especially if he could help one way or another. He chuckled at the suddenly panicked expression on the blonde’s face.

“It’s alright,” Hyunjin said with a smile. “I’m fine with being an orphan. Today’s my first day out of the orphanage actually, since I’ve turned the legal age.”

“It’s your birthday?!” Minho exclaimed loudly, shooting up from his seat. “Why didn’t you say so earlier? I could have been baking a cake for you right now!”

“You don’t have to,” the brunette argued, but the other boy was already whipping out mixing bowls and other ingredients, so Hyunjin decided that it was a lost cause. He couldn’t help but feel he was in the presence of some kind people, especially considering how he’s just met them. The thought just made him want to help them with the curse even more, one way or another. He turned to Felix, who was also watching Minho with a fond smile.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Hyunjin started, waiting until the blonde gestured for him to continue. “Is there a way to break the curse? I would like to help if I could.”

He must have said something wrong—or right, he couldn’t tell—since Felix immediately perked up before visibly deflating again. 

“There is, but it’s a little more complicated than what you’ve already heard,” Felix said, pausing to think about what he should say next, while the other boy waited patiently. After a few minutes, he nodded to himself before continuing. “When the witch cursed us, she placed a different one on the prince. It affected him not just on the time aspect, but his whole being. She left with us ared rose and with that, said that the prince’s life will last as long as the special rose.”

He stopped, before shaking his head, “well, maybe not his life exactly, but the curse. It can still be lifted as long as the rose is around, but once all the petals fall, then we’re stuck this way.”

“And the way to break the curse?” Hyunjin prompted, eager to know.

Before Felix could reply, the sound of someone clearing his throat came from the doorway.

“That’s enough,” an unfamiliar face said, although Hyunjin could tell that the other boy wasn’t the prince, judging by the way he was wearing a uniform similar to Felix. “I think he’s heard everything he needs to know for now, Felix.”

“Hyunjin, this is Seungmin,” the blonde introduced, gesturing towards the boy with chocolate brown hair. “We were both part of the royal guards, trained ever since we were kids. Minho, as you can already tell, is the chef, while Changbin is Jeongin’s butler, but he acts a lot more like an older brother to all of us here in the castle, even if Minho’s the eldest. Everybody else left when the curse hit, but we just couldn’t bear to leave the young prince all alone back then.”

“We still can’t and won’t,” Seungmin added. He had the same aura to him that Changbin had that practically screamed how much he didn’t trust Hyunjin, but at least he wasn’t outright glaring at the brunette. It seemed like if Hyunjin wanted to know more about the curse, or specifically how to break it, he would have to earn everybody’s trust. He didn’t mind. He would like to think he was fairly easy to like and quite persuasive if he tried.

Felix nodded, “right, what he said.”

“I understand,” Hyunjin said sincerely. “You guys don’t have to tell me anything specific, but I am serious about wanting to help.”

“That means staying,” the blonde offered helpfully. 

“I’ll stay. I’ll try my best to be of no trouble.”

As he spoke, he could tell that Seungmin’s featured softened just a little. It seemed they all just wanted the same thing. Hyunjin figured this was something he could help with for now; he could look for a new place to stay and job on the side as well so that he could leave as soon as things are fine. Well, he hoped things were going to get better, for their sake and especially for the prince, even if he had yet to meet Jeongin. 

That thought vanished as quickly as it came because soon, there were soft footsteps heard padding towards the kitchen.

“Felix? Are you here?” 

At the sight of the red-haired boy, Hyunjin felt his breath hitch. He was pretty sure he was staring at the prince since Felix had stated earlier that he’s met everybody else. There was immediately a different aura surrounding Jeongin; it might have been because he was royalty and Hyunjin was just overthinking things, but the other boy looked ethereal in comparison to everybody else, even when compared to how youthful Minho and the rest seemed to be.

Actually, Hyunjin was pretty sure he was at least a year older than the prince, but he wasn’t sure if that still counted considering how much time has passed. Still, Jeongin’s skin was fair and smooth enough that it could rival ivory; his eyes were his most prominent features though, sharp and pointed like a fox’s, they seemed to darken even more when Jeongin finally noticed the presence of a stranger in his castle.

His eyes stopped at Hyunjin, narrowing into a glare.

“You should leave,” Jeongin said coldly, a slight growl to his voice. “I don’t know what Felix and the rest have told you, but you’re not welcome here.”

With that, he turned sharply so that he wasn’t facing anybody in the kitchen, before speaking over his shoulder.

“It’s for your own good.”

The prince left just as quickly as he came, with Felix hurrying after the boy soon after, considering how Jeongin had entered the kitchen looking for him. He gave Hyunjin an apologetic smile before he left, while the brunette merely waved him off. Minho had momentarily left the kitchen to return by Hyunjin’s side, having witnessed the whole thing. Meanwhile, Seungmin’s defensive stance seemed to have returned.

“If you’re staying, you have to absolutely make sure you won’t leave unless told to,” he said, giving Hyunjin a once over, before realizing what just happened and what he said. Seungmin cleared his throat awkwardly, stern atmosphere wavering along with it, “well, by any of us, not by the prince. He has his moments, but he’s a good person. I promise.”

Somehow, despite being given the iciest glare Hyunjin’s ever seen in his life, he believed what he was told.

 

_My current state, the way I talk, my actions;_

_I know I shouldn’t be like this, but everything goes the opposite way._

_I want you to understand me._

 

They held a small birthday celebration that night, courtesy of Minho, where Hyunjin ate and talked with the other four boys—Jeongin didn’t attend, of course, although Hyunjin was told that Felix had tried to coax him out of his room. At least the prince didn’t seem to say anything else about making Hyunjin leave, nor did he force any of them to kick the orphaned boy out, so he saw that as a good sign. Dinner was a small, but honestly happy affair. 

He thought he was going to spend the rest of his birthday alone that day since he wouldn’t be in the orphanage for the first time.

After that night, Hyunjin adjusted himself into life in the palace. He was shown to one of the guest bedrooms, spotless clean since Minho always looked for something to do, and was even given a closet filled with new clothes that fit him just perfectly. Hyunjin had tried to reject the clothes, stating that he had brought his own, but upon giving him a judging look from head to toe, Changbin had insisted. 

He wasn’t used to sleeping on such a plush bed though or even just using more than one pillow, which made his first few nights in the castle rather sleepless. However, he learned that sleeping with Seomin’s doll next to him seemed to help him relax a bit, so he’s been doing that often. It also helped him feel less alone in such a large room. Hyunjin gathered that he could fit at least half of the orphanage inside his bedroom alone, let alone the whole castle.

Most days, he would help tend to stuff around the castle.

Gardening with Felix, cooking with Minho sometimes if the chef allowed him to set foot near the kitchen and trusted him not to mess things up, and if he was particularly lucky, Hyunjin even got to spend time with Seungmin or Changbin a little. The older boy evidently trusted Hyunjin the least, which might have had a lot to do with how close he was with Jeongin, but it was nothing the brunette didn’t understand. They were all protective, so it made sense.

In the week he’s spent in the palace though, Hyunjin only barely caught glimpses of the prince, who apparently hardly ever left his room anymore. His meals were all brought to him by Seungmin, and Seungmin alone, while everything else was handled by either Changbin or Felix. Minho once explained, with sadness in his wide eyes, that on some days, Jeongin no longer recognized him.

“How did that happen?” Hyunjin asked, brows furrowed in worry and sympathy.

“His curse, as you’ve been told, is a lot more severe,” the older boy said wistfully. “How do I put this lightly? Although he still remains the same; the youthful prince he once was on the outside, it’s a different story inside of him. He’s usually angry, a little violent, and completely unlike the cute little boy who enjoyed eating cake for dessert every day. He doesn’t like being referred to as such, but it’s like there’s a beast inside of him.”

“I’m sure he’s still in there somewhere,” Minho continued softly after a particularly long pause.

Since Hyunjin was staying and helping around, he was told nearly the same thing by all the other inhabitants of the castle. He was allowed to roam wherever he wanted except for the West Wing since that was where Jeongin often stayed. Also, if he were ever to see a room with a rose inside it, he was definitely _not_ supposed to enter that room either. Sometimes, the prince also liked to stay in the library, Felix said, although Hyunjin wasn’t sure if that meant he should go there or stay away.

In the end, he chose to visit the library one day.

Sure enough, he was met with the sight of the prince for the first time in a while.

“I did hear that you were still here,” Jeongin commented when he spotted Hyunjin shyly approach, his features blank. The red-haired boy was seated on one of the large armchairs that littered around the vast space. Everywhere around him, bookcases filled from top to bottom towered over everything else in the room. It was the most books Hyunjin has seen before in his life and he sort of regretted not entering the library earlier.

The prince frowned, but he looked more confused than angry, “didn’t I tell you to leave?”

“I don’t really have anywhere else to go,” Hyunjin said sincerely, an answer that seemed to surprise Jeongin if the way his eyes widened by a fraction was anything to go by, but the other boy said nothing. The brunette glanced around the library one more time before turning back to the prince. “This is a really big library, it must take forever to read everything here.”

“Not really,” Jeongin replied, surprising the other boy, who wasn’t expecting it at all. “It’s easy to do so if you’re cursed to be stuck in time, after all.”

Okay, so maybe Hyunjin didn’t think his words through. Thankfully, the prince spoke as he was just stating a fact, an ordinary passing thing and not something that was tearing him apart. The thought that he was so _used_ to living with the curse only made Hyunjin feel even worse. From where he stood, still by the doorway, Jeongin looked so small in the middle of the armchair. He could see none of the beast Minho spoke about.

Tentatively, he took a step forward.

The other boy visibly bristled, “I don’t appreciate company when I read.”

“Can I come back here, though?” Hyunjin asked hopefully. “When you’re not here?”

Jeongin seemed to have given it a lot of thought, but in the end, he nodded and merely went back to reading the book in his hands. Pleased, the brunette left the library, glad that he at least wasn’t asked to leave the whole castle again. Not just that, but he must have caught the prince in a good mood since the red-haired boy didn’t snap at him in any way. Delighted with the results, Hyunjin left to immediately look for Felix and told him what happened.

As expected, the blonde’s jaw practically dropped to the ground when he heard.

“Really?” Felix asked excitedly soon after. “He didn’t get mad? Glare? Ask you to leave his sight and never show up again?”

“No,” Hyunjin replied. 

He wasn’t sure why he felt so _happy_ about such a small thing. 

“This is great,” the shorter boy said, grinning. “At this rate, we might actually have a shot.”

Although Hyunjin still didn’t know the complete details to the curse and especially how to break the spell, he couldn’t help but feel glad that Felix thought so. The blonde soon told Minho, who told Seungmin, who must have relayed it to Changbin one way or another since Hyunjin found himself cornered by the older boy the next day when he was in the middle of dusting the curtains in one of the second-floor rooms.

“Innie didn’t yell at you?” The dark-haired boy asked, almost unsure. “Didn’t glare, nothing?”

“He didn’t,” Hyunjin confirmed. 

“Alright then.”

He wasn’t sure, but Hyunjin felt like Changbin started becoming nicer to him that day, smiling a little more and even cracking a joke or two in his presence. It felt nice if he had to be honest. It felt a little bit like living in the orphanage, with the chores he did, although it wasn’t nearly as noisy as having so many people around. He still felt weird about staying in such a big bedroom and on more than one occasion, even offered to pay rent or something, but Seungmin had laughed in his face.

The brunette returned to the library a few days later, entering only when he was certain that Jeongin wasn’t around.

Apparently, just the night before, there was a small incident that happened between the prince and Felix. The latter was now sporting a bright white bandage around his left arm, although he looked like he didn’t seem to mind. He had explained how it had been his fault; he stepped over a line while he was talking to Jeongin, it seemed, which caused the prince to lash out. Nonetheless, Felix still cheerily announced that his words got through Jeongin somehow.

Hyunjin was shocked, to say the least. He has heard about the prince’s violent tendencies, but after seeing the red-haired boy himself, he just didn’t look like the type who would ever hurt anybody. When he voiced out his thoughts, the other boys were quick to say that Hyunjin was absolutely right. Before the curse hit, anyway. Regardless, even if the curse continued to affect Jeongin more and more each day, it helped that the young prince still felt immensely guilty whenever he would hurt any of the others. 

“He’ll come around,” Felix said, determination clear in his voice. “I know he’s still in there.”

Regardless, Hyunjin didn’t want to risk anything, so he figured he should follow what Jeongin had told him and do his best to avoid the crown prince. He settled into the library, finding a book to read in the midst of all the choices, and settled into the armchair opposite the one where Jeongin sat the week prior. He was so lost in thought as he read that the brunette didn’t notice when the door to the library opened until there was somebody standing right next to him.

He hadn’t expected it to be Jeongin.

“Felix said I should try talking to you,” the prince said, eyes staring blankly at the surprised boy.

“He did?” Hyunjin replied, inwardly wondering if _that_ was what caused him to get angry. 

The other boy nodded and took a seat on the other armchair, hands calmly folded on his lap as he did so. Jeongin had rather nice hands, Hyunjin couldn’t help but notice. They were long and slim, although he also took note of the way the prince’s nails seemed to be quite long. It looked a little bit like claws, he realized, briefly remembering what Felix’s wounds had looked like when Minho had to change the bandages earlier that day.

Those hands could hurt him, too.

“What do you know about the curse?” Jeongin asked softly, sounding almost unsure.

The older boy snapped out of his thoughts and tried to think of the best way to answer. He knew it was a sensitive topic, so Hyunjin merely said that he knew about how the castle was frozen in time, at least everybody who still chose to live inside. He skirted around the topic of Jeongin’s curse in particular, merely mentioning that the witch had taken most of her revenge against him, despite how the prince had no real part in the matter.

He remembered Minho’s warning not to mention anything about the beast, nor the red rose, and promptly shut his mouth once he was done.

“Did they tell you about how to break the curse?”

Hyunjin shook his head, “they haven’t told me anything yet.”

“We don’t have much time,” Jeongin said, voice strained. He refused to look at the other boy, choosing instead to stare at his hands as it lay open on his knees. He looked so small, yet so tired. Even being stuck the same age for years did nothing to hide just how tired the prince, and honestly, everybody else in the castle, seemed to be. Hyunjin ached just to think about how hard it’s been for all of them when the prince spoke again. “The gates opened for you, right?”

The brunette nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak.

“They don’t open for just anybody,” the prince explained, gnawing at his bottom lip. His eyes refused to meet Hyunjin’s as he continued, speaking quickly. “They only open to those who could break the curse. Few have tried, none have succeeded, but I must admit I’m to blame for the way everybody else ran away. It’s a difficult situation. How could I just sit here and wait for someone to—when I’m like this and—I’m so _frustrated_.“

The more he spoke, the more ragged his breaths became, and soon, it was almost as if Jeongin was out of breath as he panted. His hands were balled into fists where they still lay on his knees, but it looked like his whole body was shaking. From what? Hyunjin was beginning to suspect it was rage, considering how the other boy had spoken about being frustrated. Still, despite it all, the prince also looked like he was carefully trying to keep himself in check.

“Leave me,” Jeongin managed to croak out.

Although that might have been the best option at the moment, Hyunjin found himself unwilling to follow. He couldn’t just leave the prince when it was clear that something was wrong, yet he didn’t think there was anything he could do to help, either. He should run out and fetch one of the other boys, but again, he didn’t want to leave Jeongin. He wasn’t sure, but the way Jeongin said it felt more _desperate_ than angry.

“Just breathe deeply,” Hyunjin said instead. “In and out, long breaths, come on.”

He was surprised to find that the red-haired boy was actually following. He continued calmly giving out the same instruction, watching as Jeongin’s shoulders moved up and down in time to his words. Soon, the prince’s breathing seemed to have been steadier. Although his hands were still balled into fists, they certainly weren’t as tense as earlier; Hyunjin could clearly see the boy’s bones jutting out of his hands just moments before, but he no longer saw them now. 

He took this as a good sign.

The brunette waited a while before speaking again, “better, your highness?”

When the other boy looked at him, Hyunjin swore he saw a sight difference from all the other times he’s seen the younger boy. For once, Jeongin’s eyes looked rounded than normal, still pointed but certainly not in a way that made him look cold and scary. If Hyunjin had to describe what he saw in those eyes, he wouldn’t sure what to say. Awe? Shock? Fear? Whatever emotion there was, Jeongin looked younger than he usually did. 

Was this how the prince was like before he was cursed?

“You should have left,” Jeongin said, regaining his composure. There was an obvious frown on his face. “You don’t know what I’m capable of, especially after the curse.”

“Well, nothing happened so far, so I’m glad I stayed.”

“What if you won’t be so lucky next time?”

This time, Hyunjin was sure he saw fear in the other boy’s ask, but it was mixed in with a look of worry. He realized now why Felix didn’t seem to mind getting hurt by the prince and what all the others have told him about how kindhearted the prince really was. Cursed to be a beast or not, it was clear that Jeongin didn’t want to hurt anybody. At least he was still conscious of that, even if it seemed to be fraying around the edges the more time passed.

His next words were spoken sincerely, “I’ll just have to take my chances.”

“You’re being stupid,” the prince said, but without much bite to his words. He settled into the armchair almost as if relief flooded his system, his eyes closing shut as he did so, his arms resting on the armrests. Jeongin was still breathing deeply, while the brunette across him found himself entranced by the red-haired boy once more. The latter’s jawline was sharp, much like the rest of him. There was no denying that Jeongin was handsome. 

Without opening his eyes, Jeongin spoke again, “what did you say your name was?”

“Hwang Hyunjin, your highness.”

The prince’s eyes shot open with an almost annoyed look, “you don’t have to call me that, I’m far from royalty at this rate, and I rule over nothing. Just call me Jeongin, if you must.”

“Alright,” the older boy agreed easily.

Silence washed over them as Hyunjin’s eyes darted from the prince—who had once again closed his eyes—and back towards the book he was reading earlier. The situation at hand was definitely much more interesting than any old book, but it’s not like he knew what to say or what to do. He was still conscious of possibly making the wrong move. Hyunjin began reading again, but he only got through a few pages before his eyes landed back on the prince.

With his head resting gently on his shoulder, Jeongin looked like he was asleep.

It was at that moment that Changbin chose to enter the library in search of the prince; Hyunjin was quick to point out that the prince was asleep and that the other boy should keep quiet. Judging by the way the dark-haired boy’s eyes were filled with disbelief at the idea, rushing towards the armchairs as quietly as he could, Hyunjin felt like the situation at hand was yet again another rare moment. He glanced up at Changbin ready to ask, but the other was already looking at him.

“Like this, you almost can’t tell he’s under such a terrible curse,” the older boy said in a hushed whisper, a fond smile present on his face. “He looks so peaceful, don’t you think? Back then, everybody liked the prince. It was rather hard not to, honestly. He was a kid who caused no problems, none whatsoever, walking around with a bright smile on his face. I haven’t seen him smile in so long.”

“I mean,” Hyunjin whispered back with a shrug. “I don’t see a problem with him the way he is now.”

Changbin stared at him with a thoughtful look, before his expression hardened, “do you really mean that?”

The brunette found himself answering without a moment’s thought.

“Yeah.”

Immediately, the older boy’s tense shoulders relaxed. He patted Hyunjin’s shoulder awkwardly and gave it a light squeeze for good measure as he nodded, mumbling something to himself. Changbin then walked over to Jeongin and lightly began to shake the other boy, but the prince refused to budge. Chuckling to himself, Changbin then easily lifted the young boy up from the chair. Jeongin remained asleep.

“I haven’t had the chance to do this in a long time,” the dark-haired boy said cheerfully. 

“You should go before he wakes up like that,” Hyunjin said with a chuckle of his own.

The other boy nodded and began to walk, before pausing to turn back to Hyunjin. He had the same thoughtful expression on his face as earlier as if he was weighing options in his head, which the brunette wouldn’t be surprised to find out if that were the case. Finally, Changbin glanced down at the sleeping boy in his arms and then back towards Hyunjin. He regarded the other boy with a grim expression.

“Look for Seungmin. Tell him I told you to ask about the rose.”

Dutifully, Hyunjin closed the book in his hands and followed behind the boy, going the separate way soon after because Changbin headed to the West Wing, where he was still told not to be around. He wandered around the castle in search of the other boy, dropped by the kitchen and asked Minho, and was soon pointed towards the direction of the ballroom. Hyunjin’s never been to the ballroom before, so he was also curious to see what was there.

He should have expected that it was just as beautiful as the rest of the castle.

The large space was adorned with floor to ceiling glass windows, each one sparkling clean and glistening from the sunlight that streamed through it from the outside. Hyunjin could imagine what it must have been like before the curse; grand balls, people dancing around in glamorous attire, and even Jeongin in the midst of all that as the prince. Instead, all he saw was Seungmin seated by a piano somewhere towards the left of the ballroom.

“Hyunjin?” The other boy called out the moment Hyunjin entered. “Do you need anything?”

“Changbin told me to look for you,” the brunette replied, walking towards the piano. It was white in colour and clearly well taken care of, not a single speck of dust present on its body nor the ivory and black keys. Seungmin actually looked like he was in the process of cleaning the piano, rather than play it, with a piece of cloth in his hand. He scooted over on the chair to make space for Hyunjin, who sat down with a word of thanks.

“What for?”

“He said to ask about the rose?”

Seungmin paused in the middle of wiping one of the keys, “what do you already know?”

Based on what he’s heard the first time, all Hyunjin knew was that it was a rose that represented the duration of the curse. The petals fell and along with it, the curse on the prince grew stronger, until it became permanent. He pointed out that he knew just a little about Jeongin’s curse and none of the specifics. He also still didn’t know how he could help, despite the way they seemed happy whenever he got to talk to the prince.

“I _do_ want to help, though,” Hyunjin added at the end of it all.

“The way to break the curse isn’t something you can just _do_ ,” Seungmin said with a small frown. He sighed and placed the cloth down, turning to face the brunette next to him with a serious gaze upon his features. “Do you know what red roses represent? It represents love, Hyunjin. Love, like what the king had for his dying son. Love, like what the king refused to give to the witch when he didn’t marry her. Love, that Jeongin had _so_ much of growing up.”

His features softened as he glanced down, “the curse stripped him off of love. He lost his father and slowly began losing more of himself. Even if the others and I stayed, it’s not enough.”

When the other boy paused to collect himself, Hyunjin began to think about what he just heard. Somehow, he could imagine how things must have felt. All that happening just because the prince got sick? He could imagine the way Jeongin must have blamed himself for all that happened. Even if Hyunjin had never met his parents, he had enough of a family back at the orphanage that he also knew that losing a family member was tough. 

It really could break a person.

All that at a young age? Even worse.

“He has to learn how to love and be loved again,” Seungmin continued softly, looking back up at Hyunjin with something akin to pleading in his eyes. “The rose is down to its last few petals.”

“Where do I fit into the picture?” The brunette asked, trying to recall something he heard from the prince himself. “Jeongin told me something recently. Something about the gates opening only for those who could break the curse. Few have tried, none have succeeded. What did he mean by that, Seungmin? What exactly do I have to do?”

“That’s the thing,” the other boy said with a frustrated sigh. “We’re not sure. All we know is that each time someone has entered, they’ve managed to win the heart of the prince one way or another, but at the end of the day, once they learn more about Jeongin’s curse; they flee. They leave the prince more bitter and in more pain than before, more distrusting of everybody. This is the farthest we’ve gotten in a long time.”

That just brought him back to square one, Hyunjin thought to himself.

Except this time, he was back to the beginning with a bit more of a game plan.

“We’ll figure something out,” he said, determined. “Can you keep me posted if another rose petal falls?”

Seungmin nodded, “I can do that. They’ve been falling at a faster rate than before, though.”

“We’ve got time,” Hyunjin wanted to believe in what he just said, but he was worried that he might not be right at all. He wished the rose petals falling at least had a specific time measure, but of course, that didn’t seem to be the case. Instead, he decided to focus all of his will and strength into making sure he would get the curse broken one way or another. “I’m not going anywhere.”

After his talk with Seungmin, the two of them left the ballroom to gather the rest of the castle inhabitants into the kitchen, much like the scene when Hyunjin first arrived. The latter told everybody that he was updated on the matter already, giving a pointed nod at Changbin and a silent word of thanks that he was being fully trusted with all the details. He sighed loudly and scratched the back of his head as he considered his plan.

“I thought of something,” Hyunjin began to say. “It’s in line with Felix, I guess. You told Jeongin to talk to me, right?”

The blonde boy perked up with a smile, “I did! He actually listened, too!”

“We all know, or at least agree, that this whole thing revolves around love,” the brunette continued to say, listing down the details mainly for his own sake, but also so that everybody else was on the same page. Hyunjin felt his face flush at the rest of his thoughts. He thought about Seomin and the fairy-tales he so often told her. They all had one, surefire way to make things better. “So, don’t you think Jeongin has to fall in love?”

“He’s already done that,” Changbin spoke up quietly. “And he got his heart broken.”

“It must be the other way around then,” Minho suddenly said, lifting the spatula he was holding up, almost as if it represented the lightbulb for his idea. His eyes were wide with realization as he continued, “someone has to fall in love with Innie, don’t you think? Despite how much the curse has affected him? Everybody else has left at the first sight of the—uhm, his other side—and that’s because they couldn’t accept him. This makes sense!”

His other side? Hyunjin wondered to himself. The part of the prince that was angry and violent wasn’t the full story, it seemed. 

Suddenly, all eyes were on Hyunjin.

“What’s his other side?”

They all exchanged looks, a silent conversation passing among them, with most of the shifty eyes turned towards Changbin in particular. He looked the tensest, after all, his shoulders all hunched up. After a few seconds, the latter nodded grimly and turned his attention back towards the brunette. He opened his mouth to speak, before closing it again, hesitating. Next to him, Felix gently nudged the older boy and offered a small, supportive smile.

“It’s okay,” the blonde said. “I think it’ll be okay.”

With another nod, the older boy finally said, “come to the West Wing later tonight.”

There were a lot of things Hyunjin expected when it came to West Wing, with its multiple rooms and hallways that he had yet to explore, but none were close to what he saw. Right after dinner, he was fetched from his room by Felix, who looked both hopeful and worried about what they had planned out. Together, the two walked in silence. The deeper they went into the West Wing, the more Hyunjin noticed how different things were in this part of the castle.

For one, they passed one room with the door open; inside, all he could see were fragments of broken glass and some ripped up curtains. He wondered why none of the others had cleaned up, before realizing that the lack of dust coating the area must have meant it wasn’t something they just left behind. It must have been something recent. Maybe Minho wasn’t exaggerating when he spoke of the beast within Jeongin?

Hyunjin gulped at the thought but steeled his nerves.

He wasn’t backing out now.

“It’s worse at night,” Felix explained quietly as they passed by the room. 

“Like a werewolf?”

The blonde blinked at him, “if you believe in that, sure.”

“You guys were literally cursed by a _witch_ ,” Hyunjin couldn’t help but say. “But a werewolf you’re going to be skeptical about, Felix?”

A deep chuckle echoed throughout the hallway they were in, “fair point.”

The smile on the blonde’s lips faded the deeper they walked into the West Wing, each step echoing despite their best efforts to tread lightly. All the curtains in that part of the castle were drawn close, Hyunjin couldn’t help but notice, making everything appear darker than it was supposed to be. The moonlight filtered through what little space it could, but not enough to fully illuminate their surroundings.

Finally, Hyunjin could make out the shape of somebody standing by a door.

“Hey,” Changbin greeted with a quick nod of his head. “You ready?”

The taller boy wanted to ask what exactly he was supposed to be ready for, but he wasn’t given the chance as the wide door was swung open. Hyunjin wasn’t sure what he was expecting if he had expected anything at all, but he didn’t think that the room would be fairly lit. Other than a mini chandelier, the curtains were drawn, making it easy to see how large the room was; it looked nicer than the room he was given, which he didn’t think was possible.

It wasn’t hard to miss the way Jeongin shot up from the armchair he was sitting on.

“What is _he_ doing here?” The prince said angrily, a scowl on his face as he began to take steps backward from where he stood, farther from the door as if by instinct. His eyes were directed towards Changbin, completely glossing over Hyunjin as he spoke, a frantic edge to his voice peeking through along with his anger. “Are you out of your mind? Get him out right now.”

“He’s willing to try, Jeongin,” Changbin said calmly, one hand resting protectively on Hyunjin’s waist as he spoke. 

Jeongin took another step back, “I don’t _care_ , we’ve been through this before—“

“It’s different this time—“

“How can you be so sure?” The red-haired boy interrupted harshly. His eyes finally glanced over at Hyunjin as they darkened, almost as if his pupils were beginning to fill in even his irises and the whites of his eyes. Jeongin looked a little less human and a _lot_ less like the calm yet beautiful boy Hyunjin had seen. Although the latter felt scared at the sight, his feet were frozen in place. Still staring at him, Jeongin scoffed. “Look, he’s already frightened.”

There wasn’t much Hyunjin can say to disagree with that; he knew that with his stance and his shaky eyes, it was clear to anyone that he was scared. He was still standing there though, even if he was sure Changbin left the door wide open behind them for a reason. He could make a run for it, but what would that say about him? What would that say about his so-called determination? They had trusted him to get this far, after all.

Hyunjin took a step forward.

“Jeongin, please,” he said as he kept approaching. 

“Don’t come near me!” The prince yelled, backing up until he hit the window behind him, his dark eyes narrowed in warning.

The brunette kept moving anyway until he was at least a few feet away from the other boy, his arm outstretched in front of him, almost like he was trying to befriend a stray animal. It felt a lot like it, with the way Jeongin was both ready to attack and ready to flee at the same time, some sort of fight or flight instinct activated. Hyunjin kept their eyes locked and did his best to keep his voice as steady as his posture.

“I want to help,” he said softly.

“You’ll leave,” Jeongin croaked out in a harsh whisper, voice hoarse.

“I won’t.”

It was the best idea, but Hyunjin took a brave step forward and attempted to pull the prince away from the window. Right before his hand could come in contact with the other boy’s pale wrist, there was a quick movement from Jeongin, who all but scratched his hand away. Hyunjin retracted his arm just as quickly, noticing that Changbin was also immediately by his side, although the older boy had yet to actually approach. There was a sharp pain that blossomed on his arm and when he glanced to check, he saw blood.

He looked back up at the prince, whose eyes were also trained on the older boy’s arm, wide in shock.

“I d-didn’t mean to,” Jeongin stammered out, panic welling up in his eyes. “I really didn’t, I’m—“

“It’s okay,” Hyunjin said kindly, hiding his arm behind his back.

The prince tore his eyes away and turned towards Changbin, who watched the whole scene unfold with a grim expression on his face. He was ready to grab Hyunjin if things got serious, but it seemed like his intervention wasn’t needed. Jeongin still looked defensive, but it looked like his shoulders were slumped in defeat. The younger boy gestured towards Hyunjin, “take him. Leave before any more damage is done. That’s an order, Changbin.”

“Understood,” the dark-haired boy said, gently grabbing Hyunjin’s good arm and steering him towards the door. Right before the two stepped out of the room, Changbin turned back towards the prince, who remained rooted on his spot. His eyes softened at the look of panic and guilt flooding the red-haired boy’s face, wishing he could stay some more, but he was given an order. So instead, he met the boy’s eyes and said, “please remember what I said, your highness. Have a good night.”

Hyunjin was immediately taken downstairs to be treated by Seungmin, while the others gathered in his room to hear about what happened.

Despite the pain of his arm, the brunette tried to be optimistic.

“I’m stronger than I look,” he said. “This is just a scratch.”

He received multiple looks from others that ranged from disbelief—how could he joke about something after getting hurt?—and most of all, relief. Hyunjin truly didn’t look fazed, probably because he had expected what was going to happen the moment he was told to visit the West Wing for the first time. Besides, despite all that, he knew that Jeongin didn’t mean to hurt him. He was angry, and rightfully so since they _did_ enter his room without actual permission, but Hyunjin could tell that all that was needed was someone who truly understood.

He liked to believe that could be him.

 

 

_We rolling, we rolling;_

_Till I run out of breath._

_We growling, we growling;_

_I’m turning into a monster again._

 

The next morning, bright and early, Hyunjin was sitting in the kitchen having breakfast and chatting with Minho about omelettes when Felix burst into the area with a bright smile on his face. Anybody could tell he was excited; the blonde boy smiled often, but his smile then was positively blinding as he rushed over to where Hyunjin sat and immediately gave the taller boy a quick hug before the brunette could even react. Minho watched the scene unfold with a curious look in his eyes and a fond smile on his lips.

“What’s gotten you so happy?” The older boy asked with a chuckle.

As if answering his question, the kitchen doors opened once more. Jeongin stood by the doorway cautiously, with Seungmin right behind him to prevent the prince from making a run for it, maybe. His eyes roamed the kitchen, glancing at Minho, then Felix, before finally landing on Hyunjin. He looked surprised, to say the least. He had expected the brunette to be gone, especially after what happened last night, but the younger boy did hope that Felix wasn’t lying when the latter had told him to eat breakfast will all of them.

“I wanted to apologize again,” the prince said softly, meeting Hyunjin’s eyes as he spoke. “And also give you my thanks.”

“You can thank me by taking a seat and trying some of Minho’s omelettes,” the older boy said with a smile on his face; he tried not to look too happy, but it was hard, especially when he could feel the way Felix’s own happiness radiate right beside him. Across the table and still standing by the stove, Minho looked at a lost for words as the prince turned towards him once more, a questioning look on his features. Hyunjin briefly remembered that Minho was one of the people Jeongin would sometimes forget.

“Minho,” Jeongin said, almost as if the name was foreign on his tongue. “I don’t see you anymore.”

The older boy looked like he was close to tears, but managed to hold it in.

“Just busy with cooking,” he replied quickly. “It’s good to see you, your highness.”

The prince waved the title off with a flushed look on his face, “you know I don’t like being called that.”

“Of course.”

Since then, things were a lot smoother around the castle. At least for Hyunjin, the air was a lot less tense whenever he would see any of the other boys. Not to mention, Jeongin joined them for most meals whenever he can; he still sometimes chose to eat in the privacy of his room, but it was still a big change that he bothered coming out at all. He still didn’t talk much, choosing instead to listen in on whatever conversation was happen, but it was enough for everybody that he was around at all.

The brunette’s routine didn’t change much, but it did change; gardening with Felix now included the blonde happily trilling to the sound of the birds chirping in the air, as well as Minho humming whenever he cooked and Hyunjin was actually allowed to help more, but the biggest change was something he added to his schedule just recently. He now made it a daily habit to visit the library and _only_ when he was sure Jeongin was there. 

Either the prince forgot his earlier warning or he just chose to ignore it much like Hyunjin did each time he entered the library.

“Do you have a favourite book?” Jeongin asked once.

The older boy figured he couldn’t exactly say that his favourite story involved the castle and its curse, the one he had memorized by heart, especially now that he was living there. So instead, he tried to think of what small amount of books the orphanage had and came up with one of the few books he’s read some of the other kids before. It was a fairy-tale, one with far off adventures and a prince in disguise.

“Fairy-tales are terribly unrealistic,” the prince replied, not unkindly, but more like he was just stating a fact. “I’ve rarely had the chance to read such books.”

“You weren’t allowed?”

“It wasn’t my cup of tea,” he replied, glancing around the library and at the multitude of books they had surrounding them. It made sense, Hyunjin figured. If he had this many choices to choose from, he would probably also form a liking towards something else. Then again, he quite enjoyed reading about princes and princesses and their tales of true love, if any. It felt nice and happy, even if it always contained something unbelievable. 

Besides, before he entered the castle, he wouldn’t have dreamed any of the things he had experienced in the past few months were real.

Now, he wondered how many of them contained a grain of truth.

Especially since Hyunjin sat in a giant library in the middle of a cursed castle, frozen in time. Seated in front of him was the main character of the story himself, Prince Jeongin, looking younger than he’s ever been since the brunette’s arrival. He didn’t even realize that he’s been there for so long until the thought crossed his mind. He was glad he didn’t leave though. Even if it took longer than everybody hoped, he still got somewhere with the prince.

One day, Jeongin even joined him in his morning gardening, to Felix’s delight.

“I can only tend to the back gardens, not the front, but it’s enough,” the blonde told him, a cheery smile on his face. The sun was directly on them, but thankfully, it wasn’t scorching hot. Instead, Hyunjin couldn’t help but notice, it gave Felix’s freckles more definition. Next to the other boy, Jeongin also stood there sun-kissed, his high cheekbones catching the sun’s rays perfectly. He looked a lot like a sculpture that belonged in the beautiful garden.

“What’s the castle’s best soldier doing tending to the garden?” Jeongin asked, genuinely curious. “I remember being scared of you and your deep voice when I was younger.”

“I always preferred gardening more,” Felix laughed. “It’s a lot more relaxing, don’t you think?”

“But it’s hot being under the sun.”

“And this is why you’re pale, Jeongin.”

Hyunjin watched as the prince then pouted, complaining further about the heat and the way the leaves would prickle at his skin. What else did he expect from a child of royalty, after all? Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but smile at the sight. For once, the prince looked like he was enjoying himself as well, being out there with them. He looked his age if the brunette had to describe him. Young and whiney, yet cute. Definitely cute, he concluded.

“We have you to thank,” Changbin said during dinner that same day, his smile the widest Hyunjin had ever seen on the older boy before. The prince wasn’t eating with them, but only because the day full of activities managed to tire him out, so he slept earlier than the rest. It didn’t bother any of the other boys and definitely not Minho, whose cooking became more extravagant ever since the younger boy would start joining them.

Hyunjin shook his head, “I’m still not sure what I’m doing right.”

“Whatever it is, keep doing it,” Seungmin said with the same smile on his face as he shoveled food into his mouth. “I think you’re helping Jeongin remember what it was like before the curse.”

“Is there anything else he did back then?”

“He played the piano a lot,” Minho answered, tapping his chin in thought with the end of his spatula. “But those were due to his royal lessons, which he would sometimes escape. Oh! He danced often, too. You know, ballroom dancing? It’s really amusing watching him dance since he used to trip on his own two feet. It took him a lot of balls and plenty of coaching before he could carry himself with grace.”

“Graceful is the last word I’ll use to describe Jeongin,” Seungmin added with a snort.

There was no way Hyunjin would pass on the opportunity to see the prince dance, especially after hearing all that. It took a lot of coaxing, but he managed to get Jeongin to visit the ballroom a few days later. They had some agreements whenever they were together in the castle; Changbin was always nearby, in case something were to happen. However, that afternoon, the dark-haired boy had decided to give the two some privacy. 

The prince had been in a good mood all week, so they were hopeful that it would continue.

“You’re not allowed to laugh at me,” the red-haired boy said sternly. “I haven’t danced in a long time. I’m sure I’m rusty after all that.”

“I’ve never even danced before,” Hyunjin said with a grin. That wasn’t entirely true; once in a while, he would dance with the kids from the orphanage to the sound of music playing on the village streets, but it was never anything formal. Nothing that had trained steps and dips while they danced, nothing but enjoying the rhythm and letting it flow through his body. There was no way to do that inside the castle though.

Jeongin blinked, “never?”

“Never,” the brunette said with a shrug. “It’s a royalty thing, your highness.”

“I thought I told you to stop calling me that,” Jeongin said with a small frown.

“Sorry, Jeongin,” Hyunjin said cheerfully. He knew that the younger boy didn’t like being referred to as such, but he couldn’t help but enjoy the way he was given permission to just casually use the prince’s name. He did notice that Jeongin had yet to call him by name though; most of the time, the other boy would just pull at his shirt when Jeongin wanted to get his attention, but he didn’t mind that either. 

The ballroom looked prettier in the afternoon than any other time of the day, Hyunjin thought to himself, looking back at all the times he helped clean around the area. With the way everything shined with an almost golden hue thanks to the setting sun, it looked almost like Jeongin was glowing along with their surroundings; dressed in a casual white sweater, the prince looked genuinely calm. No hint of tense nerves hanging around him whatsoever. Hyunjin couldn’t help but admire the other boy.

“I can’t dance alone,” Jeongin said, glancing away from the taller boy with what Hyunjin hoped was a hint of a blush on his cheeks. 

“You’re going to have to teach me, then.”

As if on cue, the younger boy extended his hand out tentatively. 

“Hyunjin,” he said gently, the name coming out of his lips for the first time almost like he was scared to utter it. Maybe he was, with the way Jeongin still refused to look at the boy in front of him; meanwhile, the brunette couldn’t look anywhere but at Jeongin, mesmerized by the sight of the prince, his heart beating in his chest faster before he could even consider why it was doing so. “Will you dance with me?”

Not quite trusting himself to speak, Hyunjin decided to just place his hand on the other’s offered palm. He noticed the way Jeongin seemed to flinch a little at the contact as if he still wanted to make a run for it. It didn’t help that the hand Hyunjin gave was the one that still had healing scars trailing up to his arm from their incident before, but the brunette grasped the prince’s hand with a sudden boost of confidence. It was alright, he wanted his touch to say. 

It seemed to work as Jeongin took a curt nod and placed his other hand on Hyunjin’s waist, his touch gentle, as if the brunette would break.

“You have to place your hand on my shoulder,” the prince said, finally meeting the other boy’s eyes. His pointed eyes betrayed none of the nervousness he felt as Hyunjin followed.

“This would be easier if it were the other way around,” the older boy teased. “Since I’m taller.”

“I’m the prince, you can’t tell me what to do.”

“I thought you didn’t like being referred to as such, _your highness_.”

With their golden surroundings, the way Jeongin suddenly laughed at the title made everything seem even more like it came straight out of a painting. At least, in Hyunjin’s eyes, as he felt something catch in his throat at the sight. It wasn’t one he saw often, let alone in such an intimate place. The prince’s sharp eyes turned into crescent shapes, his lips curling upward to reveal a set of straight white teeth, but most of all, the sound; it was like fresh water on a hot summer’s day. He could listen to it forever.

He must have been staring, as Jeongin’s laughter died down to a soft chuckle.

“You’re staring too much,” the red-haired boy said playfully.

“I can’t help it,” Hyunjin replied sincerely. 

“Follow my lead,” Jeongin said, a small smile still on his lips as his grip on the other boy’s hand and waist tightened a little. Without another word, he began to take a step backward, then front, before bringing the two of them to the side. Despite it being his first time, Hyunjin took to ballroom dancing pretty easily. He didn’t even need to look down to see where he was going, choosing instead to keep his eyes trained on the prince the entire time.

“You’re surprisingly good at this,” the younger boy said when he paused, his eyebrows raised. “Are you sure this is your first time dancing?”

“I just have a good teacher, that’s all.”

Again, the younger boy laughed, “flattery will get you nowhere, Hyunjin.”

Hyunjin wanted to disagree but chose not to as they began to dance again. Every now and then, it was the prince who ended up stepping on Hyunjin’s shoes with a bashful expression on his face. After the two of them got the hang of it though, Hyunjin found himself becoming a little bolder. When else will he get a chance like that, after all? He _hoped_ he would get a repeat of their dance lessons, but he could never be too sure.

Carefully, he inched closer to Jeongin as they danced, their bodies almost touching.

“Oh,” the prince couldn’t help but let out, eyes widening slightly. 

“Is this okay?” Hyunjin asked in a hushed whisper. Maybe it was the time spent with the young prince the past week or maybe it was the way the sunlight covered them with a hue that was just right, just enough to seem romantic. Even the birds outside seemed to cease their endless chirping, filling them with a comfortable silence, nothing but the sounds of their hearts beating and their tentative footsteps on the ballroom floor.

The red-haired boy nodded, looking down as he did so.

A little more. Just a little more, Hyunjin realized as they danced until the sun set and the two were called for dinner. He knew what he wanted—what he wanted to _do_ , specifically—but it wasn’t the right time. The moment he asked, the brunette felt the way Jeongin’s entire body tensed. He figured it might have been too soon, after all. The prince had only just recently begun to open up to everybody again, showing more of his past self and shedding the image of the violent prince he had become. All he needed was a little more time.

Time, unfortunately, was a fickle thing.

It seemed like it would always be against them, too.

Another week passed since the ballroom moment happened. Hyunjin was still optimistic about things, all of them were, but the prince was proving harder to completely break out of his shell. He still approached things cautiously and even if he hoped the others wouldn’t notice, it wasn’t hard to see the way he always kept his hands to himself. His arms would either be crossed on his chest or glued to his sides, careful not to accidentally touch anything. 

Even after dancing so closely together, Jeongin still kept to himself, but the brunette understood why.

All of them were having dinner—in the _actual_ dining room this time—when it happened.

One moment, the red-head was listening carefully to the way Hyunjin told them tales from back when he was in the orphanage, describing his friends and the other kids with as much detail and enthusiasm as he could; then the next, it was like a switch was flipped. There was no warning. In a flash, his hands were gripping the edge of the table, nails digging into the surface with surprising strength.

“Jeongin?” Felix called out, being the first one who noticed.

The prince was bent over the table, curled into himself as he began to breathe deeply.

“Seungmin, check the rose,” Changbin ordered. “ _Now!_ ”

The other boy didn’t need to be told twice as he raced out of the large hall, footsteps fading away from the dining room. Meanwhile, Minho had managed to drag Hyunjin out of his chair and stayed a good distance away before the latter could do anything stupid, like maybe throw himself towards the prince. That was all the brunette wanted to do, but Minho’s grip on his arm was iron tight. Even Felix was next to them. They all watched the scene unfold with bated breath.

“Jeongin, breathe,” Changbin said gently, but all he got was a low growl in return and even more ragged breaths coming from the other boy. “Does it hurt anywhere?”

“ _Everywhere_ ,” Jeongin said to their surprise, voice deeper than normal, even deeper than Felix’s normal tone. “It hurts everywhere. Everything hurts, I want it to end, make it st—“

Before the prince could continue his sentence, Seungmin burst into the room, panting.

“T-two petals fell,” he reported, his eyes shakily staring at Jeongin. “There’s only one left.”

“All of a sudden?” Felix asked out loud, alarmed.

Before anybody could reply, one of Jeongin’s hands released the table and began to claw at his chest, as if desperate to get his sweater off. The dark-haired boy beside him was about to help, but he was pushed away with a surprising force that left Changbin tumbling backward. Jeongin continued to pull at his shirt, nails growing longer until they were practically claws. With that, it wasn’t hard for him to tear the front of his shirt.

From where Hyunjin stood, he could just barely notice what the other boy was clawing at; on Jeongin’s chest, where his heart should be, his skin was severely blackened. The large, dark mark started at his heart and seemed to travel towards the rest of his body in similarly dark veins, trailing down his chest and across his shoulders, reaching all the way down his arms as well. Suddenly it made sense why the prince always wore long-sleeved shirts. 

“Jeongin,” Changbin tried again, keeping his distance this time.

There was no response from the other boy, who was once again bent over the table, his hand still clutching at his chest as if he wanted to rip his heart out. The veins that traveled down his arm also reached his hands now, too. Once pale and smooth, the prince’s hands suddenly looked ragged with how dark it’s gotten and the claws that came out of them. All the while, Jeongin was practically groaning in pain.

“All of you,” the dark-haired boy said firmly. “Go stay in a room somewhere.”

“What about you?” Felix stared at Changbin with worry clear in his eyes. 

“I’m more used to Jeongin than any of you,” he replied softly, glancing at the prince, who continued to writhe in pain. “Listen to me, Lix. Minho, lead them for me, please?”

The palace chef didn’t need to be told twice as he quickly ushered everybody out of the dining room. However, right before Hyunjin reached the door, he couldn’t help but turn around one more time. Jeongin’s dark brown eyes had completely darkened by that point, his pupils blown, while the dark tendrils were also beginning to creep up to his neck. All Hyunjin could think about was the way the younger boy had said that everything hurt and how much he just wanted to help, but he didn’t know how.

“Can I stay?” He blurted out just as Seungmin was halfway through the door.

The other boy looked at him like he was crazy.

“Are you crazy?” 

Right at that moment, there was a large crash from the dining room table. On the floor lay broken plates that were swiped from the table as the prince continued to thrash about. More dishes fell to the floor in the process, with Changbin having to dodge one that nearly crashed into his leg. Jeongin also managed to tear off more of his sweater, leaving it in only bits and pieced clinging to his shoulders and waist. More dark veins surrounded his body.

“I repeat,” Seungmin said, sounding serious as he stared at the taller boy. “Are you crazy?”

Hyunjin gulped, still frozen in place, “maybe a little?”

Without another word, Seungmin stood his ground. He waved Felix and Minho off, who also noticed how Hyunjin was lagging behind but chose not to comment, telling them that they’re not particularly safe either. The other two hesitated for a few seconds before Felix tugged the older of the two away. He must have remembered that Jeongin didn’t see them as often, especially Minho. With that they left after a quick nod, leaving the remaining three to deal with the situation at hand.

“Really?” Changbin asked, exasperated. “I tell you all to leave and—“

A loud growl from Jeongin made him flinch.

The prince had managed to calm down at least a little, bent over the table with both hands on the surface. His claws were still slightly digging into the wood tightly, but at least he was no longer throwing things about the dining room. Despite the harsh edge to his voice, it was clear the Jeongin was muttering something under his breath. Hyunjin took a tentative step closer to try and make out the words.

“No time, I have no more time, no more time—“

His heart ached.

He took another step closer, “Jeongin?”

The muttering stopped, but the other boy didn’t move another muscle. Next to him, still a good distance away but relatively closer, Changbin noticed that the prince reacted to Hyunjin’s voice. He met the brunette’s eyes and mouthed that he should continue, that Jeongin will listen to him, and that was all Hyunjin needed before he began to slowly walk towards the red-haired boy. All the while, he kept saying whatever came to his mind in an effort to calm Jeongin down.

“Just breathe deeply. In and out, long breaths,” he said, parroting what he once told the prince back at the library, the first time Jeongin had shown any signs of his curse. “Can you do that for me? Do you still know who I am, Jeongin?”

A deep shudder ran through the younger boy’s body as his fingers clenched and unclenched.

“H-Hyunjin,” the prince whispered, voice hoarse. His eyes were squeezed shut from the pain, but his body responded to the words nonetheless. Hyunjin could see the way his shoulders raised and fell again, although his breathing was still loud and a bit out of sync with the words the brunette was uttering. Still, he had said Hyunjin’s name, and that was good enough a sign as any. The older boy took another step forward.

“Try not to focus on the pain, okay? We can do this, there’s still time—“

That was the wrong thing to say. Jeongin shot up from his position, head snapping towards the other boy’s direction. His eyes were still dark, but they seemed even darker as they narrowed into a fierce glare. All of a sudden, he laughed; it was a soulless laugh, his lips curling upward into a near sneer, exposing how his teeth had also elongated into fangs. When he stopped, his eyes were still trained on the brunette.

“Don’t talk to me about _time!_ ” He growled out, taking one step towards Hyunjin. Behind him, Changbin followed silently, ready to intervene if ever something went wrong. “I’ve had enough with that word, enough with this curse, and enough of _you._ ”

Immediately, the prince lashed out, reaching towards Hyunjin. He would have succeeded, what with the way the brunette couldn’t bring himself to move out of the way, but thankfully Changbin was faster. The dark-haired boy managed to pull the prince back, while Seungmin also got to Hyunjin in time to pull the taller boy away. Both fell backward onto the floor from the sudden force, but that wasn’t the case for Changbin.

The last thing Hyunjin heard before he was pulled out of the room was another frustrated growl from Jeongin and a sharp, pained scream from the older boy.

Truth be told, the brunette didn’t even remember when he fell asleep. Shortly after he arrived into whichever room Seungmin dragged them into, he collapsed on the available bed and everybody else let him. He was still awake long to hear Felix and Minho get updated with the matter, along with hearing Felix attempt to leave the room to help Changbin, but the blonde was held back by the others. Hyunjin watched everything from his spot on the bed, feeling tired despite not really doing any activity. 

He was awakened by the sound of Felix’s deep voice fretting about the room.

Judging by the way the room was brightly lit by the sun outside, Hyunjin figured he slept through the night and immediately felt bad. He was supposed to help, but instead, he managed to make things worse, clearly triggering the prince into getting angrier. He thought of Changbin and shot up from the bed, ready to head out in search of the older boy, only to find that he didn’t have to do so.

Changbin sat right next to him on the bed.

“Morning,” he greeted weakly.

Well, Hyunjin could see why he heard Felix sound so worried. 

There was a visible gash on his face, running down his cheek. It looked patched up, but not enough, and Changbin looked like he couldn’t talk much because of it since opening his mouth probably made it worse. Along with that, he had fresh bandages on both of his arms and even a few cuts on his fingers. A chill ran down Hyunjin’s spine when he realized that all of that was caused by Jeongin, the cursed prince at the center of it all. How was the prince doing?

“I can hear you worrying,” the dark-haired boy muttered softly. “He’s alright. Asleep now. Seungmin’s there.”

“Can I go see him?” Hyunjin asked.

“That may not be best right now.”

The brunette nodded, “I understand.”

“Hey,” Changbin said, nudging him. “Don’t blame yourself.”

The other boy gave a small smile but didn’t say anything else. After watching the scene unfold, Felix was back to fussing about, his attention now on both of the boys on the bed. The blonde fetched them both water and some food from the kitchen, but neither really had much of an appetite. Whenever Hyunjin even so much as blinked, all he saw was the way Jeongin was haunched over, claws out, and the way the skin on his heart was as dark as his eyes. He tried not to remember the prince that way, though. He knew that wasn’t what mattered.

A day passed, then another, still with nothing from the younger boy.

Seungmin was the only one allowed in and out of his room now, but even he wasn’t able to give much of an update to the others. 

“He’s just on his bed,” he said once over a somber dinner, poking at his mashed potatoes. He looked more tired than usual, Hyunjin couldn’t help but notice; the bags under his eyes were much darker than ever before, especially when compared to how happy everybody was just a few days prior. The castle inhabitants had some sort of ethereal youth about them when the brunette first arrived, but now it appeared even that glow had faded. 

With the rose petals falling, it affected more than just Jeongin, it seemed. Not just Seungmin and the rest, but with recent events, even the castle seemed to be slowly crumbling. The vines and bushes near the front gate grew so unruly that it was getting hard to even see past the iron bars. When Hyunjin had offered to help trim it, they told him that they weren’t sure what would happen if he left the castle, but it was best not to try it out. Besides, they all hoped that Jeongin would come around soon.

They were all clearly running out of time.

When Hyunjin was called into the prince’s room a few days later, the news he received was anything but good.

“I want you to leave the castle,” the red-haired boy said, choosing to stare out the window instead of meeting the older boy’s stare. “Leave and never return. I mean it this time.”

How could he leave? Now that the brunette saw Jeongin again, that was the last thing on his mind. The prince looked thinner than before, making him wonder whether the other boy was actually eating any of the meals Minho prepared for him. The marks that appeared a few nights ago didn’t go away; dark tendrils still peeked out from the collar on his shirt, making their way up to his neck. Even his hands weren’t spared from the marks. His nails were still long and claw-like, visible even though he tried to hide it by folding his hands together.

All Hyunjin wanted to do was tell him that there was no way he was going to leave, but the words got stuck in his throat when Jeongin finally turned to look at him.

There was none of the smiling prince he came to know just a few weeks ago.

Instead, the prince looked practically soulless. His eyes reminded Hyunjin of the first time they met; sharp and piercing cold, no trace of warmth within them, unlike the way those once sparkling eyes looked up at Hyunjin when they danced in the ballroom together. The recent memory felt like it happened so long ago, with the recent events making time shift at an almost impossible rate. Jeongin’s eyes narrowed when he noticed that the brunette was still standing by the door.

“I’ve had Seungmin get your things. You can get anything from the castle if you wish,” he continued, voice still flat. “It will all be worthless soon enough.”

“Jeongin—“

“I’m a _prince_ ,” the red-haired boy interrupted sharply, a growl to his tone. “You _will_ obey. Don’t make me say it again.”

Regardless of the fear that crept up, Hyunjin stood his ground. He knew there no way that Jeongin would tell him to leave unless it was for his own good, his own safety; which meant somewhere beneath the cold facade he was putting up, there was still the prince who _cared_ for him, who didn’t want him to get hurt after all that happened, who just wanted the curse and his suffering to end. He knew that he was so close to bringing the Jeongin that everybody knew and loved back if he just had the chance.

If he just had more time.

He remembered Minho’s solution; someone had to fall in the love with the prince, right? That was supposed to help fix everything? Well, Hyunjin would consider that option out the window, now. He knew the moment he saw the prince surrounded in golden light, laughing in tune to their footsteps on the ballroom floor, that he had fallen quite hard for the younger boy. Time was irrelevant in the matter. The feeling probably had to be mutual for the curse to break, he concluded as he stared at Jeongin for what would probably be the last time.

He knew the prince cared for him, but that wasn’t enough.

“Go,” Jeongin said softly, gently, before snapping out of his sudden state. “I said _leave!_ ”

“Thank you for giving me the chance to love you, your highness.”

Hyunjin turned around before he could see how the other boy reacted, fleeing out the room and past Seungmin, who stood by the door waiting. He waved off his and Felix’s offer to help pack his stuff, stating that he would go as he came, with just a simple backpack and nothing else. He didn’t need anything from the castle—didn’t need a remembrance of how he had failed to save everybody, most of all save Jeongin—and even changed back to his original clothes.

“I’m sorry,” the brunette told everybody right before he left, keeping his head down since he couldn’t bear to see their faces.

“You could always try and visit,” Felix said, trying to be optimistic, but his voice wavered as he spoke. “I’m s-sure the gates will open again,”

Hyunjin chuckled, “just the other day you said we wouldn’t know what would happen if I left.”

The blonde sniffed, clearly trying to hold back tears, “you can still try.”

“We’ll let you know if we’re okay,” Minho added with a small smile.

“How?”

“I know you said no gifts,” Changbin said before Hyunjin could point out that _they_ definitely weren’t able to leave the castle. The dark-haired boy held out what looked like a handheld mirror. It was made of silver and designed with an ornate pattern in the back that resembled a rose, which only managed to remind Hyunjin more about the red rose that caused all their problems to begin with. The older boy offered it with a smile, “but this is special.”

The brunette took it gingerly, turning it over twice, before looking back at Changbin.

“What do you mean by special?”

“It’s how I used to keep track of Jeongin, back when the curse was fresh and he wasn’t handling it very well,” he spoke, voice soft. “The witch left it when she cursed us all. Maybe she actually felt bad about what she did? Who knows, but that mirror would always help you see the person you want to see most. Minho had it, back when he was forgotten by the prince, but I think it’s only fair that we pass it on to you.”

Beside him, the chef nodded, “don’t forget us, okay? We won’t.”

“I could _never_ ,” Hyunjin began to say, voice cracking as he paused to collect himself. In the end, no more words were said, since he was pulled by Seungmin into a large group hug. They gave him pats on the back and even reached up to ruffle his hair gently, before pulling away. Everybody had a sad expression on their faces that they all tried to cover up with a smile, but nobody said anything about asking the brunette to stay.

In the end, they all agreed that it was safer this way.

Nobody wanted to see Jeongin lash out again if he were ever to find out that Hyunjin didn’t leave after all. 

They didn’t want to put Hyunjin in that kind of danger anymore, either.

“We’ve kept you long enough,” Changbin said, one hand on the taller boy’s shoulder. “Do you have a place you can stay when you leave?”

“I’ll find my friends,” the brunette assured him. With that, he walked out of the castle, hearing the large doors close behind him the moment he did so. Hyunjin walked down the steps and onto the pavement, looking back one last time at the direction he knew should be the West Wing. Similar to when he first entered the castle, he caught slight movement from a window he knew for sure belonged to Jeongin’s room. With a heavy feeling in his heart, Hyunjin turned away and began walking back to the village.

He found Chan’s address in one of the letters he kept and soon enough, arrived at the older boy’s door. Hyunjin realized that he didn’t know just how long he spent in the castle until the door was opened by a surprised yet overjoyed Han Jisung, who looked just the same as when the brunette last saw him back in the orphanage. He was ushered in immediately while the other boy called the others in the house.

“We were expecting you earlier, to be honest,” Woojin admitted when he spotted the brunette, shortly after commenting that Hyunjin had grown since they saw each other last. 

Next to him, Chan nodded, “but then we figured you’d want some time to yourself before seeing our faces again, huh?”

“It’s not that,” Hyunjin said, chuckling weakly. “I didn’t want to trouble you two, but in the end, here I am.”

“Never any trouble to have you around,” the older boy said with a warm smile. Chan joked that if there was somebody to brought them trouble, it was Jisung, since the latter had appeared on their doorstep exactly on his birthday with a toothy grin. That caused Jisung to whine and complain that he was _helping_ around the house with his presence alone. The whole scene caused Hyunjin to feel happier being surrounded by his friends again, but he also felt wistful.

It also reminded him of all the times he tried to assure Minho that he was going to be helpful in the kitchen.

“Anyway, you look like you’ve got a few stories to tell,” Woojin said, a keen eye trained on the younger boy. “Still the orphanage storyteller, huh?”

“I’ve got stories,” Hyunjin chuckled. “But I bet none of you will believe me.”

He knew that he was kidding no one when he said those words; if there were going to be anybody, anybody at all who would believe everything that happened to him in the last few months, it would be his motley orphan crew. They all grew up listening to the same story, after all. It didn’t take Hyunjin long to believe what happened to him, too. Sure enough, the others didn’t even so much as bat an eye when he mentioned the castle.

“We dropped by once,” Chan admitted shortly after Hyunjin began his story.

“The gates didn’t open though,” Woojin pointed out. “Not like it did for you.”

The brunette took in what they said with a shrug; he continued on to tell them about the other boys in the castle—adding in that if they were all ever to meet, they would get along splendidly, he was sure—and finally, spoke about the prince. He spoke about the curse, and why he was allowed inside the castle, and the library with all its books. Hyunjin continued on with his heart aching from memory. He skipped the details of the curse though since he figured it was a sensitive topic.

“Dude, you _have_ to go back,” Jisung said once the story ended.

“I feel like you missed the part where I said the prince _hates_ me now, that’s why I’m here.”

“Sorry, I was too focused on the way your eyes had hearts in them when you described the way you two danced,” the blonde shot back, rolling his eyes for good measure. In his defense, Jisung did listen very attentively to the whole thing, even if they had to pause now and then to actually get Hyunjin settled in and also prepare for dinner along the way. He stuck next to Hyunjin the whole time, prodding and poking, asking questions here and there when he wanted more details. Jisung gave his friend another poke on the shoulder, “I’ve never seen you this way before.”

“I hate to admit that Jisung’s right—“

“Hey!”

“But he’s right,” Woojin said with a chuckle when the younger boy pouted. The dark-haired boy paused to gather his thoughts, before glancing back at Hyunjin with a serious expression on his face, his eyes calculating but voice warm as he spoke. “You really seemed like you were on to something back there, Hyunjin. If you could help lift the curse, wouldn’t that be the best?”

“Not to mention,” Chan piped in. “You won’t just be saving the prince, you’d be saving everybody else, right?”

Sometimes he hated growing up in an orphanage where everybody just wanted to help each other, but Hyunjin hated it most when he was left with no choice but to agree. Okay, no, that was a lie. He _loved_ that about being an orphan. They all grew up sharing clothes and toys and whatnot, learned how to treat each other with respect, and most of all, be there in the other’s time of need. It made sense that all he wanted to do was help everybody in the castle, too.

“I wish I could return,” the brunette said sincerely. “But I was forced to leave, remember?”

Woojin gave him a comforting pat on the back, “wait it out. Maybe the prince will ask for you again.”

He knew they meant well, but Hyunjin didn’t want to keep his hopes up too much. He left out the parting gift Changbin gave him, keeping that bit private since he wanted something that he kept to himself. That night, he settled into a room shared with Jisung and listened to the blonde chatter about what’s been happening around the village until he eventually fell asleep. Right before his eyes closed, his thoughts drifted to Jeongin again, and how he wished the prince would be alright.

It took a while, but Hyunjin re-adjusted himself to life outside of the castle. His bed was the way he remembered it back at the orphanage, a single pillow and blanket being enough to be comfortable for the night. He ended up getting a sweater stolen by Jisung, too, since they shared a closet. He got a job at the local bakery thanks to Woojin’s connections. The head baker was surprised that he already knew some of the basics; he had Minho to thank for that.

With each passing day, the brunette always took a few minutes hoping that things in the castle were alright.

“Sometimes you feel like you’ve aged a hundred years or something,” Jisung said one day, appearing in the bakery during Hyunjin’s shift

“Oh yeah? How so?”

The blonde shrugged, “you look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

“Just thinking about the castle and stuff,” Hyunjin admitted easily. He whacked Jisung’s hand away from a freshly baked set of rolls while the other whined. Despite not getting free bread, Jisung lounged around the bakery. Every now and then in between their little chats, he would stop and stare at Hyunjin with a worried expression in his eyes. Jisung’s eyes had always been extremely expressive. He couldn’t hide anything if he tried.

In the end, Hyunjin sighed loudly, “what else do you want to tell me?”

“You talk in your sleep,” Jisung said slowly, averting his eyes. “It’s always the same thing. You mention the prince’s name—Jeongin, right?”

Ever since his first night back, Hyunjin had tried to keep away from topics that concerned the castle. He didn’t even mention Jeongin’s name when he told his story, so for Jisung to know must have meant the other boy was telling the truth. What was he supposed to say? He didn’t want any of the others to worry about him. If they knew that he dreamt about the castle almost every night, they would think something was serious and maybe even ask him to return.

“It’s nothing,” the brunette waved off. 

In the end, there really wasn’t anything he could hide from Jisung. A few days later, Hyunjin woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in cold sweat. His heart was still racing from the aftermath of the dream—or maybe nightmare—he just had. It was unlike his previous dreams; the scenery was so vivid it was like he was standing there, back at the castle, right in the dining room. It was a replay of the night the rose petals fell, except this time, Jeongin had chosen to jump at _him_ instead of Changbin. 

When his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room, he could see Jisung sitting up on his own bed and staring back at him.

“It doesn’t seem like nothing to me,” the other boy whispered. “Are you really okay, Hyunjin?”

“I’m fine,” Hyunjin managed to say, throat hoarse, almost as if he was screaming even in real life. He wasn’t, right? That would have woken up Chan and Woojin as well if that were the case. He was suddenly filled with an overwhelming desire to just _see_ Jeongin; his heart ached at the memory of that night, but even more so at the thought that he had been so close to breaking through Jeongin’s walls, only to have them close up all over again.

Suddenly, he remembered the mirror.

He quickly padded to where his bag was left near one of the tables in the room, digging through it until he pulled out the silver mirror. Hyunjin didn’t even care that Jisung was still watching him. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, taking note of his tired eyes, before the glass shifted. In rapid scenes, it showed Felix, Minho, Changbin, and Seungmin, all with a sad expression on their faces before finally, the mirror showed Jeongin.

The prince was still on his bed, but his eyes were closed, scrunched in pain. He looked even worse for wear than the day that Hyunjin left. His skin was impossibly pale, making the dark tendrils appear even darker and much more obvious. Jeongin looked like he had trouble breathing, too, with the way his chest heaved up and down. His arms lay by the side of his body, but his fingers clenched and unclenched on the bedsheet. Something was definitely wrong.

“I have to go back,” Hyunjin realized, voicing out his thoughts to himself, before snapping out of his daze. His eyes fell on Jisung again, speaking louder this time. “I have to go back, Jisung, I can’t just stay here—“

“I told you that the first time! I’ll tell Chan and Woojin, now go!”

It was dark on the streets outside in the village, lit only by street lamps here and there, but Hyunjin didn’t care. With the mirror still clutched in his hand, he raced through the town and soon ended up at an even darker area. He had only the moon to illuminate his path, but he kept his eyes trained on the castle towers, much like he did the first time he went to the castle. His legs were burning, but Hyunjin didn’t stop until he could at least see the gates coming up from the distance.

“Please still open for me,” he muttered as he reached the gate.

Right before he could try and push the gate himself, the iron bars swung open, almost as if it were waiting for him.

The brunette didn’t even bother knocking on the door of the castle, pushing it open and stepping inside. He finally allowed himself some time to breathe, hands on his knees as he bent over to catch his breath. Hyunjin was still panting when he heard frantic footsteps across him, making his head shoot up just in time to see Felix approach him. The blonde didn’t look that surprised to see him.

“Go to the prince’s room,” he said urgently.

Hyunjin didn’t need to be told twice.

He climbed up the stairs two steps at a time, before heading to the West Wing. As he walked, his pace quickened the nearer he got to the room. He’s only been there twice, but it wasn’t hard to memorize the way to Jeongin’s room. The brunette paused right in front of the large doors, suddenly feeling scared and nervous all at once. Would he see the same Jeongin from the mirror? Could he handle seeing that in person?

Finally, Hyunjin pushed the doors open.

Inside the room, Changbin and Seungmin stood by the bed. They both looked surprised to see Hyunjin, before their shocked eyes became ones of worry, glancing back at the prince. Sure enough, much like the scene he was shown through the mirror, Jeongin was lying still on the bed. Unlike what he was shown though, the prince’s eyes were open and staring directly at him. Hyunjin was glad that at least the prince didn’t look angry.

“You came back,” the red-haired boy said weakly.

“How could I not?” Hyunjin asked as he approached. The first thing he noticed was the doll that was beside the prince, looking far too tattered against the plush bed sheets. He didn’t even remember that he forgot to bring Seomin’s doll with him until he saw the ratty old thing again. Changbin followed his line of sight and noticed the doll as well. He looked a little sheepish when he caught Hyunjin’s attention with an awkward cough.

“He entered your room a few days after you left and saw the doll,” he explained. 

“We should give them some privacy,” Seungmin opted to say, taking the dark-haired boy’s wrist and pulling him out of the room. “Call us if you need anything, your highness.”

While he wanted to focus on the way Jeongin’s pale cheeks had developed a slight blush at the mention of the doll, Hyunjin’s thoughts were occupied by something else. The sight of Seomin’s doll made him remember the stories he would tell the young girl, especially the one with his version of the castle’s curse. He always added a happy ending to it, one that involved falling in love. He knew that love was something involved in the real curse, but they were stumped on the solution.

Unless his version really was the most accurate one. 

“Jeongin,” he said suddenly, hoping the prince didn’t mind using his actual name again. “Can I try something?”

The younger boy looked confused, “what?”

Hyunjin leaned over him from the side of the bed, one arm propped on the surface to keep him balanced. He was nervous, his heart beating wildly in his chest, but he had to try. He could tell that Jeongin grew increasingly more confused but also flustered as the brunette slowly leaned in closer. The prince looked like he almost wanted to push the other boy away, but couldn’t find the heart to do so. Instead, curious eyes followed Hyunjin’s movements.

“Hyunjin?” Jeongin asked softly. “What are you doing?”

“May I kiss you, my prince?”

“I hurt you, scared you, forced you out of the castle,” the younger boy replied, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “And yet you still want to kiss me?”

“I’m not hearing a no,” Hyunjin teased, just as his heart leaped up to his throat at the way Jeongin suddenly met his eyes, leaving him breathless. The answer to the prince’s concerns was a big yes, of course, he knew that well enough. Nothing could make him tear his eyes away from Jeongin’s. He could sense hope in the young prince’s eyes, and worry, and fear, but that was normal from the other boy, Hyunjin realized. There were probably the same emotions reflected in his own brown eyes.

They’ll always be scared, but it was worth a shot.

“May I?”

“Yes,” Jeongin breathed out. 

Without wasting any more time, the brunette leaned down all the way and kissed the prince’s forehead. He felt, more than saw, the way Jeongin’s eyebrows furrowed again and chuckled to himself. Right before the prince could complain, Hyunjin’s lips traveled down and finally, _finally_ met with Jeongin’s own. The red-haired boy had rather chapped lips, dry from how weak he’s gotten, but Hyunjin felt nothing but an electric spark zipping down his lips and down the rest of his body.

When Hyunjin pulled away, there was an obvious bright smile on the other boy’s face. The prince was glowing. Literally. Golden rays erupted from Jeongin’s body, enveloping him in a bright light that made the older boy turn away and shield his eyes. It lasted for at least a minute before the brunette decided to peek through his fingers, just in time to see the way the marks on Jeongin’s skin fade away. His pale cheeks also regained a healthy, rosy colour to them. Throughout it all, the prince’s smile didn’t disappear even for a second.

Before the older boy could say anything, the doors to the room burst open.

“We all felt it,” Minho said with wide eyes as he entered, the other boys in tow behind him. 

“The curse,” Felix continued, a little breathless. “Is it really gone?”

Not quite trusting himself to speak, lest he says anything wrong, Hyunjin merely gestured towards the prince on the bed. Jeongin peered up at everybody who surrounded him with sparkling eyes and his smile still in place as he sat up, having regained his strength back. Finally, his eyes landed on Hyunjin himself, and it was clear to see that a light blush had made its way up the prince’s face. The younger boy looked away immediately but caught Changbin’s eye as he did so. 

He grinned widely, “Binnie!”

Immediately, the dark-haired boy rushed forward and gave the prince a hug.

“I haven’t heard you say that in forever,” he muttered against Jeongin’s hair.

One by the one, the others crowded around the prince until they were all practically giving him a large group hug. Hyunjin watched from the side since he didn’t want to interrupt such a tender moment with his presence. All he knew was that the curse was definitely lifted, if the way the stress and tiredness that seemed eternally present in all of them was also gone, replaced with bright smiles all over instead. He glanced at Seomin’s doll, still on the bed, and muttered a silent thanks to the young girl.

Finally, when they pulled apart, Seungmin dragged Hyunjin over.

“How did you do it?” He asked, glancing back and forth between the taller boy and Jeongin.

“Well,” Hyunjin started to say, catching the prince’s eye and smiling to himself when another blush appeared on the red-haired boy’s cheeks. He loved the sight immediately, he thought to himself. Despite the prince’s still sharp eyes, there was nothing but warmth and affection in them, no trace of the cold and unforgiving cursed prince in sight. His smile widened as he thought of his answer. “True love’s kiss, I guess?”

“Don’t put it that way,” Jeongin complained. “It sounds so cheesy.”

“But it’s the truth!”

Felix chuckled, “you guys are cute. I’m glad you’re back, Hyunjin.”

“You are staying, right?” The prince asked shyly, staring at the brunette with an unsure expression on his face. Truth be told, Hyunjin didn’t expect much when he returned. Now that the curse was lifted, did he have a reason to stay? Well, he knew his reason would be Jeongin, that much was sure, but that would mean leaving Chan, Woojin, and Jisung all over again. Suddenly hit with a bright idea, Hyunjin turned to the prince with a sheepish smile.

“I will,” he started, continuing quickly before the other boy would react. “But can I ask for a favour?”

 

_Oh my, oh my, what is this?_

 

Living in the castle—now free from the curse and spotlessly clean everywhere, _including_ the unruly front garden—with everybody else was something that Hyunjin adapted to immediately. By everybody else, that also included his friends from the orphanage. It took a little bit of convincing, but Chan eventually agreed to move into the castle. It helped that Jeongin had been the one to deliver the good news himself, with Jisung whining the older boy’s ear off that they _had_ to move into the castle.

Shortly after they moved in, Jeongin had approached Hyunjin with a shy smile and asked more about the orphanage that the brunette grew up in. In just one night, Hyunjin’s storytelling mode activated again as they sat on the prince’s bed. He told Jeongin about what it was like growing up with what felt like a lot of siblings, with Jinyoung caring for them all, with Seomin asking for a story every night. At the mention of the young girl, he couldn’t help but smile.

“You miss her,” Jeongin pointed out.

“I can’t deny that.”

A few days after, Hyunjin received news that _somebody_ had donated a large sum of money to the orphanage; that meant everybody got to move to a bigger building, with better beds and facilities, and even a bunch of new toys. Shortly after, he heard from Felix that Jeongin had even invited the kids from the orphanage over to the castle. It was supposed to be a surprise for the brunette, but with the way Minho was fretting around the kitchen about how much food he had to prepare, the surprise didn’t last much.

Hyunjin didn’t think he could fall in love with Jeongin more, but as he watched the prince tentatively take Seomin’s tiny hand in his and guide the small girl through the ballroom in a dance that resembled their own first dance—well, he should have known everything was possible as long as he lived in the castle. Once frozen in time and now teeming with love and life, the castle quickly became a home to everyone. He loved every second of it.

Even if Jisung _still_ stole his clothes.

 

**Author's Note:**

> my!! longest!! one-shot!!! so far!!!!
> 
> twt / cc / ko-fi: stilljunhui


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